As-salaam. I have a question. I recently saw the movie, "The Messenger"
but since it was biographical, I don't think it was too dramatized. I
was wondering about Abu Talib. He seemed like a genuinely good man who
cared about Muhammad and was not too happy about the corruption in
Mecca. What do the teachings say about him? What's your opinion? Do you
think he was secretly a believer or did he die a pagan?

Replies: Posted By: Friendship
Date Posted: 12 October 2010 at 3:23pm

Assalamu alaika.

Abu Talib was Muhammad's uncle. He was probably around 80 years old when Muhammad received the first revelation. His history is very sketchy and not much is known about him. He indeed protected his nephew and never betrayed him. From his poems he did believe in the Message Muhammad brought. He did not openly said so, like Al-Abbas another uncle of the holy Apostle, because it matters not at that time. His main function was to protect Muhammad with the lesson that wealth is not needed in spreading Islam. It is belief. He died therefore as a believer. Note also that your ancestors in Madina the Jews from the Levi tribes died also as believers for they brought about the establishment of the Shari'a i.e. the Ten Commandments. In other words the intent of Allah was for them to disbelieve, but to indirectly ascertain the continuity of Islam. Understand that your ancestors never fought directly Muhammad. So do not be deceived!Are you from the Levi tribes?Friendship.

Posted By: abuayisha
Date Posted: 12 October 2010 at 3:52pm

When Abu Talib was in his death bed, the Prophet went to him while Abu Jahl was sitting beside him. The Prophet said, "O my uncle! Say: None has the right to be worshipped except Allah, an expression I will defend your case with, before Allah." Abu Jahl and 'Abdullah bin Umaya said, "O Abu Talib! Will you leave the religion of 'Abdul Muttalib?" So they kept on saying this to him so that the last statement he said to them (before he died) was: "I am on the religion of 'Abdul Muttalib." Then the Prophet said, " I will keep on asking for Allah's Forgiveness for you unless I am forbidden to do so." Then the following Verse was revealed:--

"It is not fitting for the Prophet and the believers to ask Allah's Forgiveness for the pagans, even if they were their near relatives, after it has become clear to them that they are the dwellers of the (Hell) Fire." (9.113)

A narration reports:

 Narrated Al-Abbas bin 'Abdul Muttalib: That he said to the Prophet "You have not been of any avail to your uncle (Abu Talib) (though) by Allah, he used to protect you and used to become angry on your behalf." The Prophet said, "He is in a shallow fire, and had It not been for me, he would have been in the bottom of the (Hell) Fire." Sahih Al Bukhari Volume 5, Book 58, Number 222

Posted By: aleekhan41
Date Posted: 15 October 2010 at 8:50am

Abū Ṭālib ibn Abd al-Muṭṭalib ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arabic_language - Arabic : أبو طالب بن عبد المطلب‎) (549  619) was an Arab leader, the head of the clan of http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bani_Hashim - Bani Hashim . He was married to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fatima_bint_Asad - Fatima bint Asad and was an uncle of the Islamic prophet http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muhammad - Muhammad . According to Shia tradition his real name was Imran (عمران) but he is better known as Abu Talib because he had a son named http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Talib_ibn_Abu_Talib&action=edit&redlink=1 - Talib .
However, Sunnis do not accept that his name was Imran. Rather, it is
generally believed among Sunnis that the Shia claim that his original
name was Imran was fabricated to incorrectly associate a verse related
to Aal Imran. to him. In the verse after the very next verse in the
sequence, it is clearly specified that Imran was father of Maryam (Mary
in Christianity). Thus as per Sunni tradition, Aal Imran refers to Jesus
and his mother Mary.

Abu Talib raised and supported Muhammad from when he was eight years old, after his parents and grandfather had died.